Photos of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju were revealed by the state media for the first time on Saturday.

Kim was present with his "beloved daughter and wife" at the site of Friday's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, North Korean media reported on Saturday.

The young daughter, who resembles her father, is wearing a white winter jacket and red shoes in the photos. It remained unclear what her name is and how old she is.

One photo showed her and her father hand in hand in front of the vehicle from which the missile, described by South Korean media as a "monster missile," was to be launched.

According to observers, the photos were intended to demonstrate Kim's self-confidence as well as his family ties. Nothing is known about internal discussions in the isolated country about a possible successor to Kim.

Last year, South Korea's intelligence service reported that Kim's younger and influential sister Kim Yo Jong is now apparently the "de facto No. 2 leader."

North Korea has never revealed the existence of Kim's children until now, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported. Ri gave birth to a child in 2010, 2013 and 2017, it said.

Kim, who South Korea says is 38, was proclaimed supreme leader of the armed forces, party and state after the death of his father Kim Jong Il in late 2011. The Kim dynasty has been in power in the impoverished but highly armed state for more than 70 years.